BJP can’t agree on deputy speaker

The Union Cabinet is not the only place which MPs are jostling to enter. The post of deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha too has many takers, all from the Opposition.

By convention, the post is offered to the opposition and last time, it was given to the NDA. At that time, the BJP had left the post for its ally, the Akali Dal. This time, the post will probably be offered to the NDA again, but the BJP is divided on whether to keep it or give it to the Janata Dal (U), a major ally.

The JD(U) has forwarded the name of senior MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh, aka Lallan, for the post of deputy Speaker. While BJP president Rajnath Singh and his camp appear inclined to oblige the JD(U), the opposing camp says that JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar’s ambiguous statements prior to counting day have put paid to any charitable feelings the BJP could have towards his party. This section has forwarded BJP parliamentarian Sumitra Mahajan’s name as a possible candidate.

“Others (read Rajnath Singh) may want to appear large-hearted in this matter. But it is no secret that the JD(U) is only looking for an opportunity to ditch us in favour of the Congress. Look at Nitish Kumar’s statements just before counting day. After that, there should be no question of leaving the post for his party,” said a senior MP in the BJP.

The other (Rajnath) camp has compelling arguments. “We already have the post of Leader of Opposition, which is equal to the rank of a Cabinet minister. Hence, we can leave the deputy speaker’s post for our allies,” said an aide of party president Rajnath Singh. Whichever way the decision goes, a major rejig of the bruised NDA is on the cards.

Go Back to Hindutva, RSS tells BJP

As disparate analyses emerge from various quarters of the BJP on the party’s future, parent organisation the RSS has drawn the line: Stick to core ideology.

After all the debate on the reasons for the party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha election, the BJP in the later half of June is likely to by and large endorse a harder Hindutva line.

As reported by DNA earlier, the new hardline dispensation in the RSS gives the parent body greater influence. The new sarsanghchalak (chief), Mohan Bhagwat, and sarkaryavah (general secretary) Suresh Bhaiya Joshi are both hardliners. Strict adherence to the principles of the Sangh and propagating its values vigorously was the expected result of their taking over the reins.

A section in the BJP is not comfortable with the Hindutva line. Many blamed the party’s poor performance on this image, reinforced by Gujarat CM Narendra Modi’s campaign and Pilibhit candidate Varun Gandhi’s hate speech.

They spoke of a positive campaign promising better life to people, pointing out that while Modi did talk development, what he has come to symbolise outweighed it and there were few takers for what the party tried to project him as.

Some BJP leaders with RSS background were also critical of the interference of the Sangh appointees in the party, especially in Uttar Pradesh where they were “supervising” the campaign.

Such differences between the BJP and the RSS have existed for some time at a milder level, and there has been a line of thinking in the RSS of floating another political outfit, confided an RSS functionary. So far, this thinking has not gained ground in view of the assessment of political compulsions and BJP leaders agree that the party cannot think of breaking away from the RSS.

In view of the direction given in the RSS mouthpiece Organiser, the way ahead would then be the path back to core Hindutva, giving up coalition talk which “people are sick of”, building organisation in states where the BJP is weak to expand its “catchment” area and evolving a long-term strategy for propaganda.